A SOAP star is helping to spread the message of how consumers can complain more effectively about poor goods and services.

Adele Silva, who has appeared in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, was part of an Ombudsman Services consumer rights roadshow in City Park yesterday.

The roadshow especially aimed to raise awareness of how to complain about energy or communications companies, after just 370 such complaints were made to Ombudsman Services by people in the Bradford district last year.

The soap star, who played Kelly Windsor in Emmerdale, performed a ‘grumble chant’ in City Park today to encourage people to air their grievances.

She said: “We have all done it. Paid good money for bad service, and felt frustrated.

“The most important thing you should do is complain, and if you don’t get that complaint answered – then escalate it. That’s why I’ve teamed up with Ombudsman Services to ensure residents in Bradford know that they can escalate complaints free of charge through their service.

“It is free of charge, so it’s not going to cost you anything but time. It is a fantastic service.

“It will help people save money in the long run.”

People can still register their complaints in City Park between 9am and 5pm tomorrow. Ombudsman Services can provide a legally binding resolution or give free help and advice.

The service offers an independent, way for consumers to resolve disputes without going to court. It can investigate disputes between customers and suppliers which have been going on for eight weeks or more.

Consumers need to contact their suppliers directly in the first instance before they can get in touch with the ombudsman.

The two-day event in Bradford is part of a roadshow targeting towns and cities in the North-East and North-West of England where lower levels of complaints are made to the Ombudsman Services.

Lewis Shand Smith, chief ombudsman, said: “It’s important that residents in Bradford know their consumer rights and don’t put up with bad service.

“We are extremely excited to visit Centenary Square. If you feel like a company is not listening to your complaint, or you’re not sure about how to go about raising an issue, come down and speak to us.

“Complaining should be easy, hassle-free experience – if you’re still in a dispute with a company after eight weeks, Ombudsman Services can look into the case for free and provide a resolution.”

Ombudsman Services says that, based on replies to the 2011 Census, people in the Bradford district make an average of just under one complaint each – a total of 510,000 – to suppliers about goods or services per year.